Linecasting and composing machine



April 2, 1935. o s 1,996,081

LINE CASTING AND COMPOSING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 2, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 t j INVENTOR April 1935. 1.. M.- POTTS LINE CASTING AND COMPOSING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Driginal Filed Jan. 2, 1932 INVENTOR LOU/5 M. P0775 ATTO NEY A ril 2, 1935. L. M. POTTS Original Filed Jan. 2, 1932 LINE CASTING AND COMPOS-ING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR LOU/.5 M P0776 ATTOR Y Patented A r. 2, 1935 a a Y Louis NI.ff 'g rtt s -Evanston, 1 11., assignor tofiTe le-i I type Corporation, Chicago,= lll., acorporation r of Delaware I ori'ginal applica tion January 2', 1932 Serial No. 584,387. :Divided and this application April 13, 1934;SerialNo, 1720, 109 v 1 sjola msf i(o1. leeie y i The present invention relates to'linec asting" and composingmachines, and more pa'irticula''rly'to automatic control units theref or. p

' 'This application is a division or copending ap-f 5 plicationv seriamo': 5 41387, -filed"January 2-,'1932;

. A particular objector-thep'resent invention 'is to provide an automatic" control unit for linecasting and comp-,osingmachines -,whichis' included apparatus for selectively releasing a 10 plurality of matrices during the'processof line composition in responseto a single initiating 1 signal. I

Another object of the present inventionfis to;

provide a signal responsive automatic control unit for keyboard mechanismin which. a "series or" successive operations, is automatically started under theco'ntrol of a single condition and may v I v associate ones of. the various characters that are selected, andof these each isassociatedwith a be continued foran' indefinite periodffor until arrested by a predeterminedcondition. T For convenience in 1- describing the pr'e'sent' in vention and in -order,toavoid pro liiiity of description, the abov'e"'rnentioned-copending1 3 plication willb'e'yreferred' to hereinafter as the parent application, a linecasting"'andcomposing machine such as disclosed" in theaccompanying drawings and "vvhi'cn is" representative" of man ually controllable commercialstructures will referred to as the principal machine, the ap paratus relating primarily to thefautornatic 0011- trolof the keyboard mechanism of the principal machi'ne'will lie-referred; to a's the control unit,

and the structure which relates'mor particularly to the present invention will be referred to 'ger'i erally asthe em quader.'

i In the development-of commercial linecasting have beenj'ad'aptedfboth info'perationland' in structural detail which predicatefand determine to' a certain extent the'p ractie'e that-whas been followed'irrthde'sign10f automatic control units for adapting" such manually operable principal machines to automatic operation.) LFor e'zia'm'ple each keylever'" of f the I keyboard mechanism, of which there are a plurality, fis designed to effect a Singlematiiimrelease',operationjupon its de pression; Forordinaryfcopy Work this system is'preferabie since alphabeticalcharactersare in? frequently repeated;but-invthe ca'sedof; certain tabulation work and we I in? the case i of ordinary line composition for-the purpose'of filling "in partially-[composed lines with blankspace elements,

'- pluraliti'es of similarbank charactenmatrices or' quads are used; In tabulationfwork where'coh urnns of figures. and/or-it'ems are'being quoted it isfrequently' desirable tofill imparts of lines paper purposes are examples'of thisitype ofrtabu lation work., l Li Inorder to facilitate the'compos1t1on of this "operation by a single'control signal and -one that referred to parent application, among whichmay, 5 bementioned a reciprocating operatingbail-z'and V vitsireutral position fMeans are provided-for and composing machines certain j conventions number of'matrices may "be released n 1 response" ingcapac'ity of the composing machine',i tvis-ipro'-f {With the quadding-out operation; which .lies' in "with small dots following a foregoing vertical i column and-preceding another column Stock'and. v

otherfmarket quotations ascomposed for newsclass of matter, thepresent inventionaffordsfa j repeating actuator which maybe--startedtinto will. continuevto releasev certain matricesfiz until 1 0 I arrested by a propriate. arresting "meanswThe invention utilizes certainfeatures afiorded by a 3 control unit such as the Y one explained the a constantlyrotating operating shaft";

Certain selectable elements are delegated 1;

blocking member with which the several maybe 20 associated collectively or. individuallywhich block-s ing member operates during selection and; move'-' mentor said certain elements 'intoselective"po's'i f tion' to block itsreturnf-While theelement is maintained in its'selective position it issubjected 2'5 to the influenceof a reciprocating bail; thejlatter being constantly driven 'b'y'the principal operat= varying the" predetermined point-at which't-th e return or normalizingapparatusmaybecorne efp a fective, so that a correspondingly great .orife'wer to the specialsign'al. P {I q v 40 Since the releaseof' consecutive similar'matrices, as just. described, fully occupies-l the opera videdin accordance with'this invention thati the operation of the em'quad mechanismsha-l-l 'te I V porarily disengage the record readenmepliam m1 so that the latter rnayv notconti'nue'to receiv'e lin composing signals. I'hisis accomplished by pro vidinga' circuit breaker operable inl a'ssociation the principal control circuitdescribed in tthef'pa the recordreaderinechanism. 2;; i A better understanding 7 ofithe ip esentmve e,

' tion in an o fits applications" be had by ferring to the accompanying drawings in con- V junctionwwith the following description wherein,

aFig. 2is a certain portions broken'awayand other portions for the sake of simplicity Fig.1 is a fragmentary front elevation showing a portion ofa line composing machine having .certain parts of the present invention applied thereto}; ,i 6;}: plan view of the operating unit with' conventionally omitted and clearness; ,r i ;v A

Fig. 3' is a transverse section'alviewtak'en ap proximately on line 3+3f'o'fiF ig; {through-the"? principal portions of the duentto that showninF gy Y r cuitfullydescribedgin the parent application re- Fig. 5 is a fr agmentary sectionalview -tiaken the same line as Figs. 3 and 4 but illustrating-a conditionbf operation: subsequent toth'at shown. inilf iz .4,-a d

- ':Fig;'6is a diagram oi theeprincipal control cire ferred to above; i v r ,i .7 r In Figzl or the accompanying drawings there isj illustratedwith anassembling elevator] (a conventionaltassembling slide 12 whichli'esplongii l wardly bytheimpact of the successively received 1 matrices: a a ;'rn'e matrices are selectively released from their i 1 tudin'a lly in theipath of the assembled matrices v its-composing position and which,':as matrices,

and'lthe assembling block, when the letterisin are' re'ceived within the block, is move'd leftseveral channels in the storage magazine; ,asgex'q plained inthe parent!application; underthe controlofa signal-responsiveselecting,deviceiHFig i i i through link;46,-lever.fl,'pivoted-at148; andlever.

2). The latter apparatusfupon' the reception of a matrix selecting signal causes the movement 'ofacorrespondin'g selectable elementgili in a rightward direction, as viewed in, Figs. 3 to 5,

whereupon. the 1atter,-engaging a depending lug 16101 a push baror weight, dislodgesit from" its vertical position slightly, causing. ittoa'ssume aninclination as illustrated in Fig.4. When this 7 occurs lip :18, of an intermittentlyxreciprocating bail l9 engages the dependinglug I 6V and, asi-illujs trated in Fig.5, thrusts the weight I 1 upwardly as permitted by the'clearance 2|, causing the abutmentportion 22. on the top thereoilto engageand qmatic control ootlift airelease' reed 23- (Fig; 5),individually asso-i ciated therewith to effect the actuation of the: matrix release mechanism pertainingtheretoa In this manner is, performed I each of "the. composing operations of alinecastingmachine by the auto-- I p unitdescribed in'theparent applielements iciwhich is specially illusit with-an integral lug 2 5 ;'which extends sidewardly thereoi 'anddsjnot found ,upon the general :class lease associated matricesfi 5.

' 6: i iavflelementsior'weights -lvl ivhichfunctionto rewith -thisjweight 2 4 isassociatedja EF -shaped blocking 'l ever 26, Figs land. fi pivoted at 21 and.

influenced clockwise by a spring28$ When the weigm z4-- is in its normal position, as illustrated in Fig's'. 1 JandIB, itslug 25Iis'disposed beneath-one :arm 29 of the T-lever 2B with the lowermost sur- 9 face-'ofithe latter appendagecontacting-the top of lug under the; coercion of the spring v 2a.

An opposite arm 3| oiKT-lever26' supports an up standing bar .32 which: is confincd. V to vertical mes ,n A ,7 i

movement within a guide bracket 33, se'cur'e dto 1 "are secured-to a stationarvipa rt o A limited horizontal movement.

the" framework of, the unit. At its uppermost end bar 32 is provided withran inclined surface: 34, in close juxtaposition with a cooperating surface of v similar inclination which belongs to a horizom ,7

tally movable bar-35 supported 'injbraclgetswhich machine; I i

When the weight 24,]Figs; 3 to 5,'is selected' in {response to its particular. contr'olsignalgits asso-' -ciated selector' bar ::ii lmoves rightwardly to the v t position illustrated in Fig. 4', disloclging weight- '2 4fand permitting T;lever.26 undertheiniiuence r of spring. it to rotate clockwise and interpos'e its arn'i 29 in iront'of the sidewardly'extendinglug y25.asfshown; 'In back'oithe-several'weights A and extendinghorlzontallvacross the control" h principal umt-is an n le mass (not'shown in'FigI. 2). Ion:

gitudinally pivoted 'at ii'l and having,afdepen'dyj ing'arm 33,150 which is connecteda clutch'release e er 8 t ou h. the med m f ffl' mkgfl A: sp n 2; ur in t de e arm 3 r hts" ted 1 n *3 on" th e e tive mo ement o anytime-weight n or the weightidgtherear" edgeof thelatter 'eng'agesthe angle bar "36-,+act ingagainst spring 4'2 and'inoving the several;a r-.

dl tends to m in hegiiosi ioni ll s re ticulated members intothe position illustrga,tedflin'= 43 is retracted from its eifective con iition, where: at i n r ally causes the disengagement cf;;a

Fi 4. i :A a e u t: clutch relea e' hcrankq 'j clutch 44, Fig. 'ZQ'permittIngthe' reen'gagementvof a -Among s e veraliunctionsthe Sha na that is concerned in connection,;with the present I n' vention relates to its operation offthe constantly of the driving and driveniportionsgthereoi. and- I the'resulting operatlon of shaftliflf a r reciprocating, bailf IS, with which it;is connected cperatingcam-l 9Iwhich engages the vroller 5| car:

ried by; lever 41'. {-The 1 operation of zclutchfgfl, imparting rotation 7 t0 l dlrivenflshaft "45 in this manner causes the 'oscillationbr :bail IS Wh Qh hr i 1 p l8 ard nga i th d pe d:

" ing lugs lili oi those weights U for. 2'4, 1"which -are' in selected-position 'asindicated in Fig. 4 driving the latter, members} upwardlyto actuatetheir' as-I so'ciated releaserne'chanisins. Upon theisubse quen .ret u ov m of bail .lfirih weight are wpermitted'to resume; the position illustrated 'inFig. 4,,"but because in the case offweight-Zl T-lever 126 continues tobloclrthe' sidewardly ex;

e n l e; t'- tna not-resume ts n alp i n c ime: a 1 This b n tr ami fan ebe 36 continuing i its clutch=release positionydriven shaft 45 is free to rotate to c ontinue -tooscillate bailj l 9 while the reciprocationof "welsh-t 24 continues so long as it is hlocked by T -lever fed terminately; adjusted along; its;

horizontally supported gbar 35 which is capable of a Bar. 3 ."be h .nl? l ib t n 5 length by means of asecuri'n'g screw 51.; As -the 1 slide 12 *moves leftwardly'fduring the progress of l *line composition; stop 49 comes 'intofengage'mentj with 5 a cooperating Qmember 52 carried by .'the

means:-

of; slide: 12; also moves; lefitwardlyi as viewed; in Fig; bringing its inclinedrend suriaceintd err-t gagernent with'the cooperating-surface 34.-:.ofithe upstanding bar 32, and thereby cammingzthe-lat ten member downwardly. 1 Barthes all; times; en-

, ga ng arm -3l ,of lever 26;; now, "rotates; the; latter counter-clockwise against; the 1 influence or spring 28;;until its normalposition restored with; its

arm 7 2-9; resuming? the position shown, in. Fig; 11-;

whereuponrthe sidewardly extending: lugv 25: of weight 2%. being; unobstructedby' arm 25; passes heneath it, as better illustrated,inFig.3; and

permits weight bar to be. restored to "normal position; as;was its-condition; before selection. the restoration oft weight bar 24,, angle bar 36,is; also permittedto-return to: its; rest position in response t o the urge-of spring 2. This restoration,isy-consumrnated when? during the final cycle" of. revolutipn oi she-11415; .a cam 55:, Fig; 2, harried thereby-t. engages with its :apex the followerroller 66 (Figs. 2, 3, and 4-) carriedbybell crank 43. rockingthe latter eounterclockwlse about its pivot, 61 into effectiye engagement.

withsthe clutch H; T This s p a s t e driving and driven elements of the clutchdd and arrests shaft 45- in opp'o'sitionto the; tendencies of 'a spring 68 Whenbellcrank lever 4-3. again'ase sumesthe'position-astshown in-Fig. 3;;bloeking lever 39is permitted to: resume; its position behind it a's shownvand; at this instant responds to the urge of spring 42, acting through link 41; and

.arm 38. I

Beneatharm. 31; of; lever 2-6: are a pairFofcontacts 53; which-when lever 26-, is in its normal or extreme counterclockwise;'gposition, are kept closed} as illustrated in Fig. 1', but following the selection of bar 24-whentlever 2;6 is in itsextreme clockwise-position, areypermitted to come; apart so as to open thecircuitid 1 v This circuit (Fig. 6): containsa startm-agnet 55, which, as described m the parent application,

vactsQurxon,a;.clutch-erelease assembly '50, and

clutch-t9 .(Fig. 1,) andefiectsfthe release: of the shaft 55, which inturn ,operatesflthe record" reader '51. Other switches or circuit; breakers- 5,8 and 53 are also. conta i-ned in this=circuit andrelate to certain other controlmechanisms described in. the parent application] 'the'several of which, 7

together with contacts v53, predetermine the energization of magnet fii upon; thepropercondi- 'tion. of each t ofi, their respective, determining jniechan ismsi pf; particular importancew-"in the "instan -tease is; the-control of magnet :55 by the contacts 53,; which. relate to; the; em. duadding mechanism just described, and whereby the record readerisarrested during-the e-iieoti-vecondition of the em quad or quadding out apparatus.

., L j mm a g Po vwer obtained from a {suitable source of; the

principal. machine drives pulley t shaft-45, and

through gear trainIBQ is "distributed to thefassociated shaft 56, which operates the; reeord eader -1. Shaft -45 suppliesf the motor powe more ciprooating bail 19, through lever 41 andllink 4'5 response to their respective signals.

for actuating the several wei ght silfand Theselection of any 0f1'the selectable" bars i5 is determined by an individual 'distributionjof the several code bars 83; whichyare 'positioned 'in'ac cordance with the} impressions received by the record readerimechanism 51; forming a source of stored signals sucha'sj thereg'ister strip 64.

As in the case of any other selection, :the disctributioniof thevse veral' codeirbarsfl63 is an indiits: selectable element weight 2,4, continues i weirdlyextendingportion-;,"Fig; 4

so long. also is anglge member maintained; in

itsypositionas illustratedini Fig. an he l tfi r through star wheel 4,1, succeeded; in? moving slide.

, blo ks. theem quad. weightzin Withzho obstruca tion of record reade'r STtooperative'condition; V

It is noteworthy that the last described "feature 1 may: have applihatiorito" other than the pal-ne'- ations may-;be made in "thisand other details oi;

vidual: condition; resnonse to; each s si'gnaland selects a bar: lsdwhich dislodges the; em ause" weight member 24,; but upon: the "rest ration its: selected' or dislodged; position becauseor obstruction by lever 26 and particularlymm thereof which is presented: in {rent of the sidelong as hard} continues in this position i3 tem guads in the presentca e-l have been eeivedin thelassembl-i-ngblock 1 i i What] constitutes a. iufificie n t' ;-n-um be-r= of in I quad matrices may be." predetermined in accord ance with the characterof matter composed and depends upon the total'number of imatrices,l:3

which includes those previously assembled as we'll as the supplementatem quad matrices; and aiso; H 2

- hi sty d s i stop m mber vaw nei- J tudinall-y of slide !2-,ia greater or lesser the rela'tive'position of s top mem-ber 49 upon slide ofmatrices -vl-3,;may-be madeto-determines-the pointof, engagement between P stop member ifl and itsassociated member, 52:, which; carried by bar 35. 'It should be notedthat-the. adjust:

v able*sto o member 49 may be positionedat other 1 points than coincidentwith the iends of a linelin' which case the supplemental-matrices will mere; ly .fi1l in em quads or other-characters up 'toa executed; A tilhenv the predetermined number -,-QL matrices I13 have been assembled in block It andhav 12 leftwardly atthe proper intervals-stop itcenw gaging member fizmoves; bar 3.5 leftwardlyt'camming, bar: 32 downwardly icy-virtue of, thet-eam surface 34.- This action by bar 32 rest-ores T-lever 26 to .ilormal posit-ion, whereat it no -longer tionin its path, weight 24 :preoipi mal position Fig. 3,- interposiri' extendingJug 25v beneaththe-armflii of It' lever 26,,by reason ofwhich; it blockslever {2:6 andhrfivents it from res un ing 'its clockwise position-as urged by spring 28. Arm 3!, engag'ng' contacts fates to its; nortionot magnet 'jfi iand restoring motion-to h record,readesr bfi and its oneratingshaftfio;

.In. this ,wayfthefselection ofweightxMf the iu'rther operation difrecfldjeadi; ,5] the c0ntrol"of tfhe einjduad selecting si nal and' by" another and ;independent stimulus; ame ythe accumulation? of f a predetermined "nuinb' of'matrices lfiand blockl l, causes the re's'tor ularly noted iseiection also that numerous; alter- 2Q ingweightM-untilasufiicientinumber'of matrices predetermined point, as fis requisitein tabulorcomposition.

It: is; also'noteworthy that by makv ing the stop member 49 'operatively displaceable and by providing n p urality of: ,sueh, members 1 that tabularwor-kgof a-multipIe-natigre maybe 1 ideward y I r of the "foregoing" specification nor to the accom "panyingtdrawin'g's, except asset .forth in jthe qliereinafter appended claims.

' ji, "What is claimed is:']

' tion,a'set 'oflcodebars, sensing means responsive i. The combination of a "plurality-1 of function performing weights, acorr'esponding pluralityof Y selectable bars ea'clishavingindividual control of" one oi-said weights for conditioning it for 'opera-' to 'certain conditions in-a-tape for accordingly ar-' ranging said'code bars,"said-selectable-bars being I5 individually responsive to each arrangement or said code bars, means 'forunitary actuationof each of said weights after it'has been conditioned bysaid selectable bars, andmeans 101*"re'pea'ted actuation of; certain of said 'weights after it'l'ias 2 been conditioned'by said selectable bars.-

,2. In' a line'castin'g and composing machine, a

plurality of matrix releasing'felements'; atset-of levers jeach individualto one r "saidQrleirsing elements, an automatic control unit responsive'to 2B stored signal conditions for selectively actuating said levers'each in accordance-with a signal in- ,dividual to it, and means associated with-'cere conditioning said elements, signal responsive tain onesof said leversfor releasing a plurality of matrices in response to a' stor'ed signal condition.

3. The combination 'of a;plurality qr m uon elements; a set oi code selectors for individually means for selectively settingsaid code-selectors,

ing saidelement in said selective condition {for v avariabletimeinterval after'saidarrangement'ot, 7 code bars has been'altered..,

5 during line, composition.)

I I and means operative followingthe selection of "it-aplurality of times. V a

4.'-The combination .ofia selector mechanism including a set oi codebars, an element moved into selective condition upon "a certain arra'ngean element for'actuat'ing' it singly or f or actuating ment of said codebarsgand-meansfor maintain- '5.' In an automatic control mechanism ,for' hp;

'- erating aplurality of actuating devicessuchfas control board keylevers, a plurality of automatie V ically controlledactuating members, a common actuatorjfor imparting-motion to each of said members in response to'a'selecting signal for-con 4 ditioningsaid members, and means efi'ective" in response-to certain signals for imparting a plu -rality"of actuating movements to certain ones of said members;

1 65 In a 'selector mechanismj af' plur'ality of selectable elements,means for'selectively conditioningsaid element individually, acontinuou'sly operative common actuatorfor' motivating said elements,- and means for prolonging the selective {condition uncertain of said elements for-thereby isubje'cting them to the repeated eifects of said L common actuator.

$7 In a "castingland composingj'machine, a

magazine having a matrix carrying channel, a matrix release; mechanism for said channel, ametering device for recording the accumulation ofimatrices released, form control means tooperate, saidyrelease mg'echanism; means controlled by the form to initiat'e plural. operations of said 'Lrelease'mechanism, and means controlled by the metering device to stop said operation.

8, Apparatus as indicatedinclaim 'l i'nfhich" the stopping means includes a member adjust- 7. able to stop saidaction at predetermined points i 17., In anfautomatic'operating unit,asing1eirev a I:- ,99'6,oe1 A A I the present invention withoutdeparting-irom the J 9. Apparatusas" indicated in claim 7 and auto;

' spirit or scopethereot; It "is therefore intended v v matic means to suspendthe operation -of said i not to I be limited by, any of. the particular details form 1 controlled meansp'until said plural action is stopped.

- 1o, Intimates a composi g machine, a plurality 'ot matrix releasing:devicesyanautos matic control unit for initiating the per-forniance the perfo'rniance'of said means.

.11. In an automaticselecting device, a plural I {ity of function initiating elements; a mechanism -15 responsive tostoredfsig'nalsfor; automatically causing to be actuated each; or'said elements,

means iior restoring ,saidf'elements 'atterj each actuation, and means ior' 'repeating the performance of a function automatically aiterits cor-re 'sponding initiating elementh'a's' been restored. W

12. In anfautomatic selectingdevice a plurali ity of function performing members; a corresponding; plurality] of j initiatingelements v for selectively conditioning ssaid members; mecha nismresponsive tostored signalsfor wam-mm: ly actuating one of saidelementsfmeans for restoringsaid element's. after each actuation,' and j means ior repeating the performance of one of element has been restored f 13. In an automaticv selecting said members after. its {corresponding "initiating;

l I a device, spin-.1 rality V of iu'nction performing 'rnembersfa jcorre- "sponding plurality of initiating elements 110i t selectively conditioning, said members, "m ch 'nism responsivef to" stored signals, Ior automatically "actuating onev of' said" elements, andfmeans for restoring said elementsafter each actuation by r I said mechanism "while maintaining so ated member inoperative fcondit'ion. a V

"14. The combination ina linecasting and composing-machineoi a selector. mechanism including ;a set of codebars; aplurality of selectablelele ments each-moved-into selective condition upon a,

particulararrangement of said: code bars andj means for maintaining ertain ones only ofsaid elements in; selective condition for a p'redete'r bars has been altered.

mined period after an arrangement of said code In an automaticselecting device, a plurality ofiunction-perf orming elements, each capable of assuming" an operative condition and an: inoperaitive condition, means ior normally maintaining said elements iii-their inoperative condition; a cor responding plurality of} conditioning members eachbperative' to'enga'ge and m ve-ions of said.

elements'from its-inoperative to its operative, corrdition, apparatus for withdrawing said members cyclically, and means associated with 'certainones of said elements for maintaining .thenrwlinptheir 3 operative condition thoughitS' cQnditioningmem ber has been withdrawn.

' 16.iautomatic' operat ng of elements to be individually selected andoper "atedin response to stored signals, air-operating g shaft including means responsive'tojeachgof a 5 plurality or signalsior initiating "the operation.

"of said shaftand means for arrestingthe opera tion of said sliaft following the reception of each 1 signal, apparatusdriven by said shaft i'oriactu w ating said;elementa andzmeansinresponseto-the selectionlof certain of saidrelements io'r disabling said arresting means; i 1

sponsive to other signals for initiating said'mechanism for a plurality'of revolutions of operation.

' 18.- In a mechanism forperforming amultiplicity of various functions under the automaticcontrol 'of stored signals, a'signal responsive device for selecting and initiatinga function-to be operated, and means responsive to a local condi be. performed 19. In combination, a signal controlled selecting; I device, a plural character actuating mechanism, means controlled by said' device to determine a; character to be actuated by said mechanism,

means associated withsaid mechanism to deter mine the number actuated.

tion for determininethe number tor operations to w o f'times a'character-is to he a I 'oUIs QM .POTI'S.' 

